Amusement apparatus.



No. 801,046. PATENTBD OCT. 3, 1905.

J. H. & H. S. PORTER. l

AMUSEMBNT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION YILBD FEB. 23, 1904.

8 BHBETS-SHEBT 1.

PATENTED 00T. 3,1905.

J. H. 6: H. S. PORTER.

AMUSEMBNT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 23.1904.

3 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

No. 801,046. PATENTED OCT. 3, 1905.

J. H. 6a H. S. PORTER. l

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23,1904.

a SHEETS-gmini 3.

UNTTED STATES ATENT OFRECE,

JAMES H. PORTER AND HENRY S. PORTER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AIVIUSEWIENT APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1905.

Application filed February 23, 1904. Serial No. 194,661.

in Amusement Apparatus,of which the following is a specification.

This inventlon relates to amusement apparatus ofthe type in which a series of cars or seats for a number of riders rotate about a` central upright, this type being commonly called roundabouts.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character in which the cars are given a movement either in a circular horizontal plane or in a circular vertical plane or in an undulatory path resultinghfrom a combination of the two movements rst described. In other words, although the riders may at will be given a path of movement either in a horizontal plane or a vertical plane these two movements may be so combined that the cars will proceed in a path which may be termed a leap-frog course.

To these ends the invention consists inthe improvements substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a complete apparatus embodying our invention. F ig. 2 represents a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 represents an enlarged vertical section through certain portions of the apparatus, as hereinafter described,one of the rotating frames being shown in elevation. Fig. 4 represents a detail plan view of a portion of the apparatus shown at the right in Fig. 3. 'Fig'. 5 represents a section through one of the collars surrounding 'one of the horizontal shafts, the same representing' a supporting-bearing for the outer end of such shaft.

Similar reference characters indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the simple embodiment of the invention represented in the drawings, 10 denotes an upright or shaft, preferably hollow, for a reason hereinafter described, the lower end of said shaft having a collar 11, rigidly secured near its lower end. A fixed bearing 12 is secured to a suitable base and is formed with an upper circular horizontal face'or track between which and a suitable annular groove in the collar 11 there are placed a series of antifriction-balls 13. The center of the fixed bearing 12 is preferably formed with a socket14,

into which the lower end of the upright or shaft 10 extends to a sufficient distance to prevent the foot of the upright from having any lateral movement relatively to the fixed bearing' or base. At a suitable height above the bottom of the shaft 10 we provide an upper bearing 15 with suitable antifriction-balls 16, `mounted in grooves in the inner wall of said bearing. Suitable braces or guys 17 extend from said bearing 15 to the ground or a suitablebase, as represented in Fig. 1. A platform 18 is represented in Fig. las surrounding the guys or braces 17. Of course suitable means will be provided to facilitatethe access of passengers to and from said platform. Secured to the shaft 10, near its lower end, is a worm-wheel19, with which a worm 2() meshes, said worm-wheel having its shaft provided witha pulley 21, driven by a belt from amotor 22, preferably an electric motor. It will now be understood that by means of the motor 22 the upright shaft 10 may be rotated so' as to cause any projections from said upright to move in a circular horizontal plane.

Secured to the shaft 1() above the bearing 15 is a hub 23, having radial arms 24 connecting it with a rim 25, said hub, radial arms, and rim forming a spider-frame. To the rim 25 are secured bearings 26 to support the shafts, presently described. A series of long shafts 27, radially arranged, are supported at their inner ends by some of the bearings 26 and by step-bearings 28 in the hub 23, the said shafts being' provided with pinions 29 within the spider-frame. Alternating with the shafts 27 are short shafts 31, also mounted inbearings 26 and in step-bearings in the hub 23 and provided with idler-pinions 30, meshing with the pinions 29. This arrangement of the gearing necessarily provides for the rotation of the shafts 27 in the same direction. One of the shafts 27 has a wormwheel 32 secured to it, said wheel meshing with a worm 33, the shaft of which is provided with a pulley 34, driven by a belt from a motor 35, (preferably an electric motor,) suitably supported on the spider-frame. A cross-frame 36 is secured to the outer end of each shaft 27, said frame 36 having a swing- IOO bar 37 projecting laterally from each end nections 39 from each swing-bar 37. To support the outer ends of the shafts 27, we provide suspension-guys 40, secured to the up IIO per end of the upright hollow shaft l0, the lower ends of said suspension-guys beingl connected by turn-buckles 42 with loops 4l, which embrace sleeves 43, mounted upon the shafts 27. Each sleeve 43 is provided with lugs 44, which resist tendency of the loop 41 to slide inwardly, and each shaft is provided with a collar 45, secured thereto by means of a setscrew 46, suitable antifriction devices, as rolls or balls, being located between the sleeve and the shafts and the ends of the sleeve and the collar 45.

In order that an ornamental or protective covering for the apparatus may be suitably supported, we place within the hollow upright shaft 10 a center pole 4T, the upper end of which projects above the upper end of the shaft l0 and supports the center of a tent or canopy 48, the outer edges of which may be provided with suitable guy-ropes.

It will be observed that the two motors are entirely,independent of each other so far as concerns any connections that would require simultaneous operation of the two. One motor is used solely for the purpose of rotating the upright shaft l() and imparting to all the cars a movement in a horizontal circular direction or plane. The other motor, the one that is supported upon the spider-frame, has no other function than to rotate the shafts 27 about their own axes, and it will therefore be readily understood that if the lower motor is left inoperative and the upper one alone utilized the only movement resulting from rotation of each shaft 27 is to carry the two cars that are supported by the swing-bars 37 each in a vertical plane or circular path, each of the two cars 'following each other in said circular path; but after the passengers are all in the cars the two motors may both be made operative, so that each car while moving about a point coincident with the axis of the shaft 27 also moves about a point coincident with the axis of the upright shaft 10, thereby giving to each car an undulatory movement and to each pair of cars carried by the shaft 27 a leap-frog movement.

lt will be readily understood that inasmuch as all of the shafts 27 are operatively connected together so as to move in unison there can be no movement of one set of cars without a corresponding movement of the other cars, the movement of all being uniform, with the result that no unbalancing effect can be produced, the cars on diametrically opposing sides each occupying the saine relative positions to the horizontal plane of the apparatus, at all times. Hence the cars are balanced. WV ere each set of cars capable of a separate movement7 this equilibrium would be disturbed, with a consequent liability of disturbance of the entire structure. Furthermore, the fact that this movement of the shafts 27 is obtained froma single point, the motor 22, decreases the cost of construction as well as operationv and maintenance, as well as decreasing liability of accidents due to a divided supervision of movement.

rllhe cars may be given any one of three paths of movement, the one about the axis of shaft 10 being in one plane, the movement of each car about the point coincident with the axis of its shaft 27 being in another plane, and the two movements combined causing the cars to move in an undulatory path. It will therefore be seen that the passengers may be given their choice of movements or may be given the said movements successively, thereby adding variety to the pleasure afforded by this type of apparatus. It will be readily understood that the passengers may be given convenient access to the cars by giving' all of the shafts 27 a quarter-rotation from the position shown in Fig'. l, so that all of the cars will be in the same plane, and rest stationary until the passengers are all seated or have stepped out of the ears onto the platform18, the said cars being nearly in the same plane with the platform 18 when the shafts 27 have been partially rotated as above described. Furthermore, by providing the independent motors for imparting the several movements, each motor being' independently controlled in an obvious manner, it will be apparent that the rapidity of movement of the cars and their supports in the several planes can be controllably varied, in each case, however, all of the cars being' moved in unison. For instance, with the apparatus moving in a direction to give the horizontal movement the remaining motor may have its speed changed to cause but a single dip during the revolution, or a dozen dips may be given, the speed in the horizontal plane being constant, or the speed in the horizontal plane may be varied, in that the vertical plane remaining constant, or both motors may have their speed varied. It will be obvious that with such changes innumerable variations in the movements of the cars can be obtained by the operators of the motors, the change in speed of one movement not affecting the mechanism imparting the other movement or movements, all movements being constantly under the control of the operators.

Te have shown the cars 38 as shaped to resemble frogs. Of course it will be understood that any liind of car or seat may be substituted for this particular design.

The worm 33 and worm-gear 32, forming parts of the connections between the motor and the horizontal shafts 27, constitute means tending to prevent the shafts from being' rotated or partially rotated by an unbalanced load. on either shaft, such as might be caused by the weight of a passenger on the seat of one yoke-frame, the other seat being unoccupied. Vithout means such as the said worm and worm-gear in said connections such unbalanced load would be liable to transmit TOO IIO

IZO

power back to the motor and cause the latter to yield or back until the unbalanced load reaches its lowest point.

lV e claiml. An amusement apparatus comprising an upright shaft, a motor for rotating it, a plurality of horizontal shafts connected with said shaft so as to move in a horizontal plane, yokeframes carried and driven by the horizontal shafts and having seats suspended therefrom, and an independent motor for rotating' the horizontal shafts about their own axes, said horizontal shafts being' operatively connected to have a simultaneous movement in unison.

2. An amusement apparatus comprising an upright shaft, a motor for rotating it, a plurality of horizontal shafts connected with said shaft so as to moveinahorizontal plane, yokeframes carried and driven by the horizontal shafts and having seats suspended therefrom, and an independent motor for rotating the horizontal shafts about their own axes, said horizontal shafts being operativelyconnected to have a simultaneous movement in unison, a platform surrounding the center shaft and located at a height substantially corresponding with the height of the several seats when all are in a uniform plane.

3. An amusement apparatus comprising an upright shaft, a motor for rotating it, a plurality of horizontal shafts connected with said shaft so as to moveinahorizontal plane, yokeframes carried and driven by the horizontal shafts and having seats suspended therefrom, a motor for the horizontal shafts and connections between the motor and shafts for simultaneously rotating the shafts, said connections including means tending to prevent backward transmission of power from an unbalanced load on either shaft to the motor.

4:. An amusement apparatus comprising an upright shaft, a motor for rotating it, a plurality of horizontal shafts connected with said R. M. PIERsoN, A. W. HARRISON. 

